Mount Charleston Lodge

As some of you already know, the lodge burned about six weeks ago.  A couple of us planned on having a cocktail their last Friday, but instead we just took a spin by to check out the damage.  As explained in previous reports, it's a total loss.  Any previously standing structures after the fire have been knocked down.  It does not appear that any of the debris has been hauled away, which is surprising.  Weather will be hitting this area soon.

I'm hoping that the new lodge will be a winner for the Ellis family.

It's actually pretty common for debris to be left standing when commercial structures burn down, as they have to be left undisturbed until insurance claims are settled and the adjuster(s) can evaluate what was lost in addition to the property itself. I have two friends who lost their houses in the Paradise, CA fire and they remarked that most of the commercial structures that burned were left alone for months, and were told that was the reason. (Stuff that was on the verge of collapse, such as signage and lighting, was knocked down for safety reasons.)

I'm sure that whatever they build will be very nice and probably an improvement on the old lodge. The residents of the town of Mt. Charleston (which is actually pretty sizable, relatively speaking) will have a fair amount of say in what can and can't be built there, so it probably won't be anything ostentatious or gaudy. I hope it'll have the same "vibe" as the original lodge.

My family and I hike up there 2-3x a year on Vegas trips.  Nice break from the casinos and some of the trails can be real challenging.  Especially in the spring.  (like semi-dangerous until the locals pad down the rocks a bit more)